Bemban assemblyman Yadzil Yaakub has criticised Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, saying he is no longer the chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and should refrain from making announcements on behalf of the coalition.
Yadzil was responding to remarks made by Muhyiddin during a ceramah in Melaka yesterday, where the former PN chairman claimed the coalition could win all 28 state seats in the upcoming state election and said parties within Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) could contest under the PN banner.
Questions over Muhyiddin’s authority
Yadzil, who was expelled from Bersatu in February, also reminded Muhyiddin that he would not be the individual signing candidate appointment letters for PN in future elections.
“Enough with the pointless political chess game and focus on your party instead,” the former Bersatu Supreme Council member said in a statement.
He urged Muhyiddin to strengthen Bersatu’s machinery and grassroots network rather than relying on the strength of other component parties.
“Strengthen its machinery, build its grassroots strength, and don’t let your own party become the ‘passenger’ that rides on other component parties’ strength,” he said.
Criticism over IPR participation
Yadzil also questioned Muhyiddin’s willingness to allow IPR parties to contest under the PN banner, claiming that several Malay-based parties had previously been prevented from joining the coalition.
“But now, all of a sudden, IPR, whose direction is still unknown, is being easily given the green light to contest under PN.
“But when it comes to other parties like Urimai and the Malaysian Advancement Party, he seems eager to pull them in. Is this move intentional to weaken PN from within?” he asked.
Although Yadzil did not identify the four Malay-based parties he was referring to, previous reports stated that Berjasa, Pejuang and Putra had applied to join PN.
Debate over new members in PN
On May 18, Berita Harian reported that efforts by a group linked to former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin to join an existing political party seeking PN membership had reached a dead end after the coalition decided not to accept new component parties for the time being.
According to a source, several Bersatu leaders objected to the proposal during a PN Supreme Council meeting on May 16, citing concerns that a new component party could become a political platform for Hamzah and his supporters, potentially affecting the coalition’s stability.
However, PN deputy chairman Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man later said the coalition’s leadership had not held any formal discussion on the entry of Hamzah’s supporters and that no application had been submitted for consideration.
